The present invention relates to a guide rail cover for use in an automotive automatic seat belt system. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a guide rail cover which covers a guide rail for guiding, in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a slider which is slidably received in the guide rail and which retains one end of a webbing for constraining a seat occupant.
This sort of a guide rail cover is made from a resilient material and has, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 18, a solid structure comprising a base 12 provided with a pawl 12. An engaging with a guide rail 10 and a filler 14 integrally connected to a base 12. A pair of such guide rail covers is arranged to oppose each other with a lower opening 16 formed in a guide rail 10 in between, and, as indicated in a solid line in FIG. 7, two fillers abut against each other, in such a manner as to cover a lower opening 16.
As shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 14, the fillers 14 are resiliently deformed at their portions contacted by a slider 18 which moves along the guide rail 10, thereby allowing the slider 18 to move.
Guide rail covers are conventionally made from a resilient resin, etc., because if the filler 14 is not sufficiently resilient, it would impose some movement resistance on the slider 18 and, moreover, the portion that corresponds to the slider 18 would in turn cause the tops of both to fail to abut each other in front and rear of the slider 18 over a long distance, exposing the lower opening 16.
Thus, the guide rail cover, at its portion that corresponds to the slider 18, allows the filler 14 to be bent and deformed. In addition, the base 12 is lifted off the guiderail, with the result that the appearance is degraded.
Also, as shown in FIG. 15, since the guide rail 10 has a plurarity of its portions mounted, through retainers 20, to a side rail 22 and a front pillar (not shown), etc. at the upper part of the side wall of a vehicle, notches 24 must be formed in the guide rail cover as shown in in FIG. 16 in order to permit the retainers 20 to pass therethrough.
Therefore, the guide rail cover does not engage with the guide rail 22 at portions where the notches 24 are formed, when the slider 18 pass through this portion, therefore, the filler 14 largely expands as shown in FIG. 14, which in turn lifts the base 12 off the guide rail at the periphery of the notch 24. This also degrades the appearance.
Also, in the above mentioned slider 18, a shoe made from a resin, etc. is disposed to abut against the inner wall of guide rail 10 in order to smooth the movement of the slider 18 and also to avoid any noise generated when the slider 18 slides on the inner wall of the guide rail, while securing durability.
For these reasons, such a work process is essential as to attach a shoe to the slider 18, so that the slider 18 must be thick enough to some extent in order to ensure durability.